Sweet Victory
by erinana
Summary: "She paused her anxious pacing to observe the man below... The bodyguards surrounding him were armed to the teeth and would not let anyone come within a two-foot radius of Benny. Six bit her lip, worried. She needed to finish what he started. She needed redemption." 1/22/2020 - rating cranked up to M for groping/mentions of sex.
1. Chapter 1

(A/N: I've always wanted to see this pivotal point in F:NV from different perspectives, so I hope I did it justice. I do not own Fallout.)

* * *

"I'm going to The Tops to look for Benny. I'll be back tomorrow." Six declared to the screen before her, in a tone that suggested that she was not going to wait for approval.

Mr. House's face stared blankly back, flickering. Finally, he sighed. He knew better than to hold a woman back when her mind was set on something.

"Very well. Return with the Platinum Chip, otherwise you will have some serious explaining to do." With that, the monitor went black.

Smirking, Six turned on her heel and ascended the staircase towards the elevator. Victor obediently brought her to the casino level, still rambling on about being the first human to set foot in the Lucky 38 in over two hundred years. Six ignored it and left the casino, welcoming the cool spring air as she stepped out into the open. The sky was ablaze with reds and purples, casting the entire street in a warm, crepuscular glow.

The sights and sounds of the Strip were still a bit of a challenge for the Courier to process. Remembering her conversation with Mr. House only moments ago, she confessed that she had never seen anything like New Vegas in her entire life.

"Of course you haven't," Mr. House said knowingly, a sense of pride hidden beneath his suave voice. "Vegas was always one of a kind. What you see down on the Strip is just a fraction of the city's former glory, and yet... more than an echo. I preserved its spirit."

Indeed, she had never thought she'd see such tall buildings sprinkled with neon lights in the middle of a desert…

...She also wasn't expecting the crowd of gamblers and NCR troops gathered at the base of the pathway to the casino, staring at her in awe and whispering of her newfound fame. She descended the steps and pushed her way through the gradually growing crowd, nodding to those who called to her, and turning a deaf ear to the many comments of how she got into the elusive casino.

She walked south down the boulevard until the retro and geometric Tops sign came into view. Six stopped, her heart dropping into her stomach. All at once, her mind swam with countless possibilities. Her pace slowed as she approached the casino entrance. If she played her cards right, the tables would turn in her favor… she'd be the one to point a gun at his head, with him completely powerless to stop it. Maybe she would just slit his throat and let him bleed out in his own fortress… Swallowing a lump in her throat, she placed a hand on the casino door and pushed it open.

The Tops interior took her breath away.

Seemingly untouched by nuclear devastation, the lobby and main casino floor were pristine, almost as if straight from a copy of Salesman Weekly. The whole building oozed with a pre-war charm she never recalled seeing. A large, ornate staircase opened up to a foyer and a sign reading "Theater". To the right lay the main casino floor with all of the amenities she had come to expect: blackjack, poker, roulette, and a sea of slot machines. She could make out some booths and tables down the hall littered with gamblers eating and drinking their fortunes away. Slow jazz poured from the speakers on the ceiling, the final piece of the elegant and fun atmosphere that welcomed her.

Six set her sights on the restaurant at the end of the hall, desperate for a drink to calm her nerves. Before she took three steps, a suited man behind the reception desk called her to him. His handsome face and even more dashing smile did little to ease her tension.

"Hey hey, baby doll, welcome to the Tops Hotel and Casino!" The Courier smiled lightly in a half-hearted attempt to conceal the red that was creeping up her cheeks. The man held out his hand to her and continued, "I'm going to have to ask you to hand over any weapons you might be carrying." He nodded past her slightly. "Especially that sniper rifle on your back."

Six froze. This wasn't what she was expecting. How was she supposed to defend herself? How was she supposed to settle her score with Benny?

"Why do you need my guns?" She blurted out, panicked. The greeter let out a light chuckle, making Six feel even more apprehensive.

"Security, baby. Can't make the bread if the bakers are full of lead, you dig it? Don't worry," he reassured her with a wink, "you're safe as houses in here, courtesy of Mr. House." The Courier stared at him still, motionless. She understood the logic there, but loathed the thought of being completely defenseless.

Suddenly, an idea struck her. She had on her person the sniper rifle the greeter called out, along with some frag grenades, a silenced .22 pistol, and a sheathed machete. It made sense to temporarily relinquish the sniper rifle, that much was true. However, if she could somehow get Benny alone, she could dispatch the silenced pistol with no repercussions. Frag grenades were the complete opposite of silent, and even with the machete being encased, just carrying it on the casino floor could possibly draw the wrong kind of attention.

Her posture now more reserved, Six unlatched her sniper rifle and placed it on the desk separating her and the greeter, then produced from her pack two boxes of ammunition. Not breaking eye contact with the man before her, she then set all of her grenades on the desk delicately, followed by the still-sheathed machete. As a sign of good faith, she held out her hands, indicating she was clean… mostly.

"That's everything," she said simply. She impressed herself with how even she had kept her tone. The greeter handed Six's weapons to another suited man, one by one, who then walked out from the desk, heading up the stairs and out of sight.

"Smooth and easy, just the way I like it! Don't worry, they'll be safe as kittens until you're ready to leave." The Courier blinked in confusion. What was with this guy's mannerisms? It was so foreign, yet oddly familiar. "Now that we got that little business out of the way," he continued, "What can I do to make your Tops experience the tops?"

Shaking off the hesitation and internally groaning at the greeter's pun, Six met his eye with a fiery glare.

"I'm looking for a man named 'Benny'."


	2. Chapter 2

The Courier twirled a bottle of vodka in her hands, her mind comfortably fuzzy. One more should do the trick, she thought. She deliberately ignored the many male patrons that attempted to harass her at the bar, and when one put his hand on her shoulder, she shot him a glare so intense that he immediately scampered away.

Blinking rapidly, she chugged the last of her drink and then produced five caps, and placed them on the counter, sliding them towards the bartender. She slurred out a thank you as another vodka bottle appeared before her.

The Courier emptied this bottle in less than 10 minutes.

Six could see him on the far opposite side of the casino floor, still clad in that damn checkered suit. He had 4 or 5 or... 6 men surrounding him (Six couldn't tell), presumably bodyguards of some kind, all dressed in gray suits, black fedoras, and dark sunglasses. Benny was in an active conversation with a female gambler, smoking away and gesturing wildly with his hands. Eventually, the gambler squeezed his hand as a farewell gesture before walking towards the front door. Six winced when she noticed that his eyes never left her backside; she could only imagine where his sight was focused...

Groaning, Six eased herself off the barstool that had been her resting place for the last hour. The entire world seemed to simultaneously blur and come back into focus as her body struggled to filter a seemingly inhuman amount of alcohol. Six took one step, her feet feeling as heavy as lead before her legs gave out. Immediately she snagged the closest thing within reach - the edge of the bar counter. It helped somewhat, much to her chagrin, as she noticed the many bar patrons all staring at her. It appeared that even while shitfaced, her reflexes were still top-notch.

At this point, the Courier was too drunk to even notice her face growing red in embarrassment. She got back to her feet as gracefully as she could manage, and left the bar at a much slower pace with that final bottle of vodka in hand.

Six paced herself as she slowly approached Benny's corner of the casino. The last thing she wanted would have been to approach him in a completely drunken and helpless stupor. No… she needed to be as sober as she could manage, and fast. She sighed in relief as her vision grew more focused and still. As she continued her long walk towards redemption, words formed on the Courier's lips of what she would say to Benny after all this time.

* * *

Benny leaned on the railing looking out over the casino floor, pulling out a cigarette to light. The four guards around him stood silently, each gripping a submachine gun, ready to defend the head of the Chairmen at a moment's notice.

Six continued to pace back and forth in the upstairs foyer, planning out her next steps carefully. The vodka had mostly wore off, or so she thought, but at least she was able to walk without wobbling or tripping.

She paused her anxious treading to observe the man below. He hadn't moved an inch, not even to mingle with his patrons. The bodyguards surrounding him were armed to the teeth and would not let anyone come within a two-foot radius of Benny. Six bit her lip, worried. She needed to finish what he started. She needed redemption.

...She needed answers.

When Victor first pulled her out of the ground, she only knew that the man stole a platinum chip from her. After she met the enigmatic Mr. House, he revealed the true nature of the item. The pieces started to come together, but it still didn't explain what Benny needed with it.

Maybe, if she told Benny she just needed answers, he'd be more open to going somewhere more private to converse. Then… after she had the information she wanted, she could do away with him as she pleased…

Confident that her mind had rid itself of the blurriness, she descended the main staircase and made her way towards Benny. As she approached him, she never took her eyes off him.

The checker-suited man didn't immediately notice her as she snuck into his peripheral vision. Just as she turned the corner, the bodyguards all raised their weapons to her. Benny noticed their apprehension and turned towards the source. He saw the woman before him and for a split second, did nothing.

Suddenly, his expression paled as if he saw a ghost. His eyes widened in pure surprise; Six almost laughed at his shock.

"_What in the goddamn_…?!"

The Courier said nothing, blinking her eyes rapidly. Fuck, she thought. The alcohol isn't completely gone.

Opening and closing his mouth repeatedly while trying to form words, Benny composed himself enough to tell his men to stand down.

"L-let's keep this in the groove, hey?" He sputtered. "Smoooooooth moves, like smooth little babies…" Six smirked. This was exactly the reaction she had hoped to get out of him, after all this time. Benny cleared his throat, now staring at her as if he had just realized something.

"Hello! That broad everyone saw go in the Lucky 38, that was you?!" The Courier stared at him, silently. She raised her eyebrows as her mouth twitched into a crooked smile. She was equally impressed and horrified at how quickly the news of her grand entrance had travelled. The man before her stared back in utter disbelief. "Shit."

Six took a deep breath, planning her words carefully. "Give me one good reason to not kill you, after what you did." Benny scoffed, unimpressed at her threat.

"You want a reason? How about four?" He held out his hands and gestured to the guards encircling them. "They're called bodyguards, baby. Every one of them's packing heat, including me - so, baby makes five." Six glanced at each of the bodyguards, biting her lip. He did have a point there. In order to get what she needed, she'd have to abide by his rules… for now. "Tell me something, would you?"

_Tell me how you survived._

Six gave Benny a knowing look, studying his face as much as possible. Staying just as silent as she was, she smiled.

"You need to work on your marksmanship. It'll take more than two bullets to stop me."

Benny laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head with his free hand. "Yeah, hello… serves me right for using a 9mm."

Six took a step towards Benny, cursing when she realized her footing was still very uneven. As if by the flick of a light switch, her head became fuzzy again, and dark, twisted thoughts swam through her mind. She needed answers out of the man before her, but needed to get him alone first…

...by any means necessary...

"When you shot me, you ran off so fast I never got your name." Six murmured suddenly, closing the space between herself and the checker-suited man before her by gently grabbing his forearms. Benny stepped back, equal parts confused and surprised.

"You making a pass at me, sister?" He mused, mirroring her smirk. His eyes, however, could not conceal his interest. "Because you're out of my league."

Six licked her lips, considering her next words. She was going to regret this, for sure. But… what happens in the Tops, stays in the Tops…

...right?

"Is it wrong to want a guy who'd shoot me in the head?" Benny looked even more confused by this. One of the bodyguards behind them snickered, causing both Six and Benny to go pink. He looked at the young Courier before him, laughing nervously.

"Did those bullets scramble your egg? Or... have you always been a naughty broad?"

Six felt her heart flutter at the suddenly deeper tone his voice took on. The vodka definitely wasn't done with her, not yet. Or, maybe it was, and she had taken matters into her own hands. Either way, it was only a matter of time before she said something else extremely out of character.

"Girls like bad boys. And you've been downright _awful_…" For added effect, the Courier twisted a lock of hair in between two of her fingers, eyeing him curiously.

FUCK. Benny was even more pink, earning a drunken chortle out of Six. He quickly shook his head, erasing some of the pink. He leaned in close, a dirty smirk on his face.

"You're one sick pussycat, baby…" Six was barely fazed by the stink of cigarette smoke on his breath. She looked at him intently, waiting on his next words. "There's... " He shifted his eyes back and forth before looking at her again, "...quins, and then there's… I don't even know what to call you."

The Courier leaned even closer, her face hovering inches from his. "I'm saying I dig you, despite it all. What do you say?" Benny's face blurred before her as she placed her hands on him a second time, gently holding his torso. This time, Benny didn't object, but he still looked uncertain as he flashed a nervous smile and grabbed her shoulders.

Six looked up at the man in front of her, and felt her face grow uncomfortably warm. _He's a lot easier on the eyes than I was expecting…_

Benny's wavering voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "I hear 'dig' from you, babe, and all I can think of is a shovel. This ain't forgiveness, it's something… w-wrooooong…" Benny's voice suddenly rose in pitch as he felt the Courier slide her hand just below his belt.

His eyes fell to her hand, hovering dangerously close to his crotch. Slowly, his gaze lifted to the woman before him. Her eyes held a dark, sinister look. Her mouth was twisted into a chapped, crooked smile as she leaned into his ear.

"I'm a courier, remember? Don't you want me to…"

If making downright awful puns earned oneself a one-way ticket to Hell, Six was about to shoot herself straight to the front of the queue. She licked her lips and slid her hand further down, until it lay over his slowly stiffening groin.

"..._handle your package_?"

To her greatest surprise, Benny placed his hand over the one on his crotch and squeezed it. The Courier bit her tongue, stifling a yelp as his "package" grew even more stiff. He held her dark, sensual gaze, a pout forming in his lips.

"O-ooookay, honey baby... this is all kinds of wrong... but to my suite it is! Thirteenth suite." Benny mirrored the Courier, whispering into her ear. "_Don't keep me waiting_."

Bingo.

Backing away but not breaking eye contact, Benny reached into his pocket and pulled out a small silver key. "Take the elevator up to the thirteenth floor. My suite is guarded with more of these bodyguards." Benny then pulled away completely, adjusting the collar on his suit, putting a professional façade back in place.

Six watched as Benny and his bodyguards retreated, blending in with the crowds. As soon as they were out of sight, she jumped and spun around in excitement, before an immense wave of fear and doubt hit her like a train. She had found the man that'd shot her, left her for dead, and stole an item that she was contractually bound to deliver to a New Vegas powerhouse... and now he had given her the key to his _private_ suite...

_What in the world was she getting herself into?_


End file.
